Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1496 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 304 of the Regular Session
3	2		TNL186 02/14/2025 1:41:56 PM TNL186
4	3		State of Arkansas 1
5	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
6	5		Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1496 3
7	6		4
8	7		By: Representative Andrews 5
9	8		By: Senator J. Dotson 6
10	9		7
11	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
12	11		AN ACT TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO 9
13	12		ENSURE ARKANSAS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT BY QUALIFIED 10
14	13		TEACHERS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
15	14		12
16	15		13
17	16		Subtitle 14
18	17		TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE 15
19	18		TO ENSURE ARKANSAS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT 16
20	19		BY QUALIFIED TEACHERS. 17
21	20		18
22	21		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
23	22		20
24	23		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -15-1004(b) and (c), concerning 21
25	24		requirements to renew a teaching license and licensure exceptions, are 22
26	25		amended to read as follows: 23
27	26		(b)(1) To renew a teaching license, a teacher shall participate in 24
28	27		continuing education and professional development: 25
29	28		(A) Based on the teacher's evaluation and professional 26
30	29		growth plan under the Teacher Excellence and Support System, § 6 -17-2801 et 27
31	30		seq.; 28
32	31		(B) As required under § 6 -17-704 and other laws; and 29
33	32		(C)(B) As required by rule of the state board. 30
34	33		(2)(A) For purposes of the requirement for continuing education 31
35	34		and professional development under the Standards for Accreditation of 32
36	35		Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts, five (5) hours of credit for 33
37	36		professional development shall be given for each one (1) hour of college 34
38	37		credit for a graduate -level course if the college credit is: 35
39	38		(i) Related to and enhances the teacher's knowledge 36 HB1496
40	39
41	40		2 02/14/2025 1:41:56 PM TNL186
42	41		of the subject area in which the teacher is currently teaching; 1
43	42		(ii) Part of the requirements for the teacher to 2
44	43		obtain additional licensure in a subject matter that has been designated by 3
45	44		the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education as having a critical 4
46	45		shortage of teachers; or 5
47	46		(iii) Otherwise approved by the Division of 6
48	47		Elementary and Secondary Education under subdivision (b)(2)(B) of this 7
49	48		section as a graduate -level course eligible for professional development 8
50	49		credit. 9
51	50		(B)(i) Credit for professional development obtained under 10
52	51		subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section may be allocated as follows: 11
53	52		(a) Up to fifteen (15) hours may be credited 12
54	53		to the professional development requirements for licensure; and 13
55	54		(b) Hours obtained in excess of fifteen (15) 14
56	55		may be credited to any remaining requirements for professional development 15
57	56		generally, if approved by the school district in a professional development 16
58	57		plan. 17
59	58		(ii) The allocation of credit for professional 18
60	59		development claimed under subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section shall be 19
61	60		approved by the: 20
62	61		(a) School district or open -enrollment public 21
63	62		charter school employing the teacher; or 22
64	63		(b) Division of Elementary and Secondary 23
65	64		Education, if the educator is not employed by a school district or an open -24
66	65		enrollment public charter school. 25
67	66		(C) For purposes of the requirement for continuing 26
68	67		education and professional development under this section, each hour of 27
69	68		training received by licensed personnel related to teaching an advanced 28
70	69		placement class for a subject covered by the College Board and Educational 29
71	70		Testing Service shall be counted as professional development up to a maximum 30
72	71		of thirty (30) hours. 31
73	72		(3)(2) However, nothing Nothing in subdivision (b)(2) of this 32
74	73		section this subsection (b) shall prevent or restrict a school district from 33
75	74		requiring additional in -service training. 34
76	75		(c)(1) A teacher shall not only be assigned to teach a grade level or 35
77	76		a subject for which he or she is not fully or provisionally licensed by the 36 HB1496
78	77
79	78		3 02/14/2025 1:41:56 PM TNL186
80	79		state unless he or she meets one (1) of the following licensure exceptions as 1
81	80		established by rules promulgated by the state board: or for which he or she 2
82	81		is on a licensure plan approved by the division. 3
83	82		(1)(A) An emergency teaching permit granted to a school district 4
84	83		for a position filled by a nonlicensed teacher who meets the Arkansas 5
85	84		Qualified Teacher requirements promulgated by the state board. 6
86	85		(B) An emergency teaching permit may be granted annually 7
87	86		for not more than two (2) consecutive school years; 8
88	87		(2) An effective teacher licensure exception granted to a school 9
89	88		district for a position to be filled by an Arkansas licensed educator to 10
90	89		teach a content area related to the educator's current licensure content 11
91	90		area; 12
92	91		(3) A technical permit issued in cooperation with the Division 13
93	92		of Career and Technical Education; 14
94	93		(4) An Aspiring Teacher permit; 15
95	94		(5) A licensure exception under: 16
96	95		(A) The District of Innovation Program, § 6 -15-2801 et 17
97	96		seq.; 18
98	97		(B) The Arkansas Quality Charter Schools Act of 2013, § 6-19
99	98		23-101 et seq.; or 20
100	99		(C) Section 6-15-103; 21
101	100		(6) A plan for adding an area to an existing Arkansas teaching 22
102	101		license while teaching in the content area to be added; or 23
103	102		(7) A waiver for a long -term substitute teacher granted under 24
104	103		subsection (d) of this section. 25
105	104		(2)(A) At the request of a public school district, the division 26
106	105		may approve an individual's licensure plan under this section. 27
107	106		(B) A licensure plan may be initially approved under this 28
108	107		section for a period not to exceed three (3) years. 29
109	108		(C)(i) The division may grant, upon the request of an 30
110	109		individual on a licensure plan, an extension of a licensure plan for up to 31
111	110		two (2) additional years due to an extenuating circumstance. 32
112	111		(ii) However, the division may grant an individual 33
113	112		an extension of his or her licensure plan only one (1) time. 34
114	113		(D) The state board may promulgate rules governing 35
115	114		licensure plans granted under this section. 36 HB1496
116	115
117	116		4 02/14/2025 1:41:56 PM TNL186
118	117		(E) The provisions of this subsection (c) shall not be 1
119	118		waived under § 6-15-103. 2
120	119		3
121	120		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -15-1004(d), concerning long -term 4
122	121		substitutes, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: 5
123	122		(6) A public school district may request the use of a long -term 6
124	123		substitute under this subsection (d) for a specified period not to extend 7
125	124		beyond the school year for which the request is made. 8
126	125		9
127	126		10
128		-	~~APPROVED: 3/18/25~~ 11
	127	+	11
129	128		12
130	129		13
131	130		14
132	131		15
133	132		16
134	133		17
135	134		18
136	135		19
137	136		20
138	137		21
139	138		22
140	139		23
141	140		24
142	141		25
143	142		26
144	143		27
145	144		28
146	145		29
147	146		30
148	147		31
149	148		32
150	149		33
151	150		34
152	151		35
153	152		36